Jonah 4. Vocabulary: Jonah 4:1 But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.

Transcription

1 Vocabulary: :1 But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. 1) It greatly displeased Jonah : the verb, [[r, raa, it was displeasing, evil + prep., la, el, + the proper noun, hn"ay, Yonah, to Jonah + the adj., h['r', raah, + the adj., ladg", gadol, a great evil, wrong. 2) He became angry : the verb, hrx, charah, He burned (was kindled, became hot) + the prep. w/3ms suff., l., with respect to it. Translate He burned with anger with respect to it. :1 But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he burned with anger with respect to it. 1

2 :1 But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he burned with anger with respect to it. Analysis of v. 1: 1) At this point in the narrative, the 40 day time limit had expired for the inhabitants of Nineveh. 2) However, due to their genuine repentance, God spared them from destruction. 3) The situation in Nineveh provides a truly remarkable example of a pagan populace that turned around and believed in God (Jonah 3:5). 4) An adjusted believer would recognize this remarkable turnaround and display of God s grace as an occasion of great joy (cf. Col. 2:5, 1 Thess. 1:9). 5) What was Jonah s reaction? Surely as a prophet of God he would be delighted in their salvation and deliverance, right? 6) Wrong. Instead, the pardon of Nineveh greatly displeased the prophet. 7) Under his OSN, he desired their destruction and not their deliverance. 8) In the Hebrew text the sentence, But it greatly displeased Jonah is literally But it was evil to Jonah, a great evil. a) He views God s decision to pardon Nineveh as wrong. b) In Jonah s thinking it was an egregious evil or wrong that the Ninevites were still breathing! c) The Hebrew syntax is emphatic regarding his negative attitude. d) Clearly Jonah has capitulated to the desires of his OSN and is consumed by hatred for the Assyrians. 9) Jonah s attitude is reprehensible and impugns the righteousness of God. 10) His great displeasure is immediately followed by anger. 11) The standard translation He became angry fails to convey the degree of Jonah s anger. 12) He burned with anger is an idiom which indicates extreme anger. a) Literally the verb (hrx, charah) is to burn, kindle or become hot. b) It emphasizes the kindling of anger like the kindling of a fire or the heat of anger once ignited. 13) He became angry at God for the pardon of the Ninevites. 14) As a general principle, the anger of man doesn t advance the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20). 15) In his anger, Jonah was acting foolish (cf. Prov. 14:29, 29:11, Eccl. 7:9). 16) Correspondingly, the same principle applies to us. We demonstrate that we are fools when we get angry. 17) It is important to recognize that anger is a product of the OSN and ought to be immediately overruled (Gal. 5:20, Eph. 4:31, Col. 3:8) 18) Uncontrolled anger among believers in the LC will have a very negative impact on the well being of the congregation (2 Cor. 12:20 cf. Prov. 15:18, 30:33). 2

3 19) Believers are commanded to separate from those who habitually exhibit anger (Prov. 22:24). 20) Anger leads to evil doing and the one who exhibits great anger will suffer for it (Psa. 37:8, Prov. 19:19 cf. Est. 3:5, 5:9, 7:10). 21) Although Jonah s performance up to this point has been less than stellar, in our context he is especially self-centered, temperamental, and completely hypocritical. 3

4 Vocabulary: :2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 1) He prayed to the Lord : the verb, llp, palal, he prayed + the prep., la, el, + the proper noun, hwhy, YHWH, to YHWH. Translate he prayed to YHWH. 2) Please Lord : interj., an"a', annah, + the proper noun, hwhy, YHWH, Now YHWH. Translate Now YHWH. 3) In my own country : the prep., l[;, al, + noun w/1cs suff., hm'd'a], adamah, in my land or country. 4) Forestall : the verb, ~dq, qadam, I forestalled, anticipated. 5) I fled to Tarshish : prep., l, + infinitive, xrb, barach, by fleeing, running away, + proper noun, vyvir>t;, + directional heh, h, to Tarshish. 6) I knew : the verb, [dy, yada, I knew. 7) Gracious : the adj.,!wnx;, channun, gracious or merciful. 8) Compassionate : the adj., ~Wxr;, rachum, compassionate. 9) Slow to anger : the adj. cons., %rea', arek, + aph, slow [lit: long] of anger. 10) Abundant in lovingkindness : the adj. cons., br;, rab, abundant or great of + noun, ds,x,, chesed, lovingkindness. 11) One who relents concerning calamity : the participle, ~xn, nacham, One who relents + prep., l[;, + the adj. w/d.a., h['r', concerning (the) calamity. Revised translation: :2 And he prayed to YHWH and said, "Now YHWH, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 1

5 :2 And he prayed to YHWH and said, "Now YHWH, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Analysis of v.2: 1) In his anger, under his OSN, Jonah prayed to God. 2) Actually from the beginning his prayer takes the tone of seething rant. 3) The prophet begins by saying, Now YHWH. a) Our term, Now is a strong entreaty or appeal. b) It has the nuance of a command. The sense is Listen now YHWH. i) Now YHWH is not necessarily an inappropriate address to God. In other contexts we see God addressed in the same manner in important, even desperate, petitions (2 Kings 20:3- Now YHWH occurs 1 st in the Heb. word order. Lit: Now YHWH, remember now how I have walked, Psa. 116:4). ii) As a related principle, believers are to confidently approach God in prayer in time of need (Heb. 4:16). (1) Confidence is the Greek noun, parrhsi,a- parresia. (2) In speech, the term refers to outspokenness, frankness, or openness. (3) In relation to one s mental attitude, the term refers to confidence, boldness, courage, especially in the presence of persons of higher rank. This attitude stems from freedom and lack of fear (cf. Acts 4:13). iii) It is important to remember that we must approach God in fellowship and our petition must be according to Divine viewpoint. iv) Clearly the peevish Jonah fails to meet these requirements. He has officially blown a gasket. 4) The prophet reveals the reason for his flight to Tarshish in chap. 1. 5) At the time of his 1 st commission, he surmised that God would not destroy Nineveh. a) Jonah chastens God with his query Was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? b) This (hz<, zeh) is a reference to the pardon and deliverance of Nineveh. c) Jonah presumed that the inhabitants of Nineveh would repent if he issued God s proclamation of judgment against them. As a result of their spiritual turnaround, God would graciously pardon them. Why else send a Hebrew prophet into the heart of Assyria, the pagan super power of his day? d) His presumption was correct. Jonah s flight to Tarshish was a futile attempt to prevent this from happening. 6) The prophet s intense hatred of the Assyrians is evident. 2

6 7) He had been doing everything in his power NOT to be of any benefit to his enemies. 8) Jonah was taking a very hypocritical position. In the very recent past he had been an undeserving recipient of God s mercy yet he was furious that God extended this same mercy to the populace of Nineveh. 9) Further, the prophet acknowledges that he knew that God is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, etc. a) The verb, I knew ([dy, yada) indicates that had learned about these Divine characteristics through observation, reflection, and his own personal experience. b) These characteristics are in harmony with His righteousness and justice. c) Jonah knew that God was acting in character when He pardoned Nineveh. d) Although the prophet recognized this fact, he was infuriated and blinded by hatred. e) He steadfastly refused to accept that the Assyrians were legitimate recipients of God s grace, compassion, etc. f) We see that Jonah s extreme bias is in conflict with God s impartiality. Unlike the prophet, God is not influenced by anger and hatred (cf. 1 Peter 1:17). 10) The list of Divine traits cited in our verse is a formulation about God s character (Ex. 34:6, Psa. 86:15, 103:8, Joel 2:13). 11) God is gracious and compassionate. a) The adjective gracious (!WNx;, channun) describes His gracious or merciful acts toward undeserving mankind. His gracious character is made evident through the plan of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.). b) Compassionate (~Wxr;, rachum) relates to a deep love, usually of a superior for an inferior, based on some natural bond. i) The term connotes tenderness, benevolence and mercy. ii) He exhibits compassion toward those who are in misery, distress, or in a helpless state. iii) Other passages describe God as rich in mercy and full of compassion (Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, James 5:11). iv) In addition to the Ninevites, other beneficiaries of His mercy and compassion include: Israel, Gentiles, those who fear and seek Him, etc (Psa.102:13, 103:13, Isa. 55:7). c) These terms frequently occur together (Neh. 9:31, Psa. 111:4, 116:6). d) His grace and compassion are manifestations of his love. 12) Jonah describes God as slow to anger. 3

7 a) He patiently allows time for individuals to acclimate to His plan (Num. 14:18 cf. 2 Peter 3:9). b) However, at the proper time, if an individual doesn t change, he will act with judgment (Job 4:8-9, Nahum 1:3). c) In contrast to Jonah, God doesn t fly into fits of rage. d) This is evident in His dealings with the people of Nineveh not to mention the maladjusted Jonah. e) In a like manner, believers ought to be slow to anger and exhibit patience (Proverbs 14:29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly, Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.). 13) God is abundant in lovingkindness. a) Lovingkindness (ds,x,, chesed) is combination of His love and kindness as manifested to mankind. The term also carries the nuances of loyalty, faithfulness, and goodness (e.g. Israel: Micah 7:20, Joseph: Gen. 39:21, Abraham: Gen. 24:12-14). b) His lovingkindness is everlasting (Psa. 107:1, Lam. 3:22). c) We ought to rely on it, especially in times of distress and trouble (cf. Psa. 33:18-22). 14) God is one who relents concerning calamity. a) God will hold back judgment if an individual modifies his thinking and conduct to obey Him (Jer. 18:8, 26:19). b) Nineveh provides a prime example of this fact. 4

8 Vocabulary: :3-4 "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life." 4 And the LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?" 1) Therefore now, O Lord : the conj., w, + adv., ht'[;, attah, So now + the proper noun, hwhy, YHWH. Translate Therefore now, YHWH. 2) Please take my life : the verb, xql, laqach, take + interj., an", now + mdo, ta, + noun w/1cs suff., vp,n<, nephesh, my soul. Translate take my soul now. 3) Death : the noun w/1cs suff., tw<m', muth, my death. Translate my death. 4) Life : the noun w/1cs suff., yx, chay, my life. Translate my life. 5) Lord : the proper noun, hwhy, YHWH. Translate YHWH. 6) Do you have good reason to be angry? : interog. part., h, + the infinitive, bjy, yatab, Is it good + the verb, hrx, charah, to be angry, to be burning with anger + prep. w/2fs suff., l, for you? Translate Is it good for you to be burning with anger? Revised translation: :3-4 "Therefore now, YHWH, take my soul now from me, for my death is better to me than my life." 4 And YHWH said, "Is it good for you to be burning with anger?" 1

9 :3-4 "Therefore now, YHWH, take my soul now from me, for my death is better to me than my life." 4 And YHWH said, "Is it good for you to be burning with anger?" Analysis of vv. 3-4: 1) Jonah desired the destruction of the Ninevites, but God graciously pardoned them. 2) Subsequently, the prophet became extremely angry at God s merciful treatment of Nineveh. 3) He began an angry prayer (or rant) to God in v. 2. In the prayer he admitted that he fled to Tarshish in order to forestall or prevent their repentance and God s pardon. 4) Jonah s attitude was completely at odds with God s attitude. The prophet possessed nothing but hatred and disdain for the Assyrians whereas God desired them to repent and live. 5) In Jonah s view, it was bad enough that he had to witness their repentance, but, it must have been particularly galling to know that the proclamation that he delivered provided the impetus for their turnaround. 6) In v. 3, Therefore now introduces the primary request of his angry prayer. 7) In his self centered fury, the prophet commands God, Take my soul now from me. In other words, Kill me now! 8) It is a very emphatic and very misguided request to God. a) In the Hebrew word order, the request is literally take now my soul. b) The verb, take (xql, laqach) is to take, grasp or seize. c) The interjection now (an", nah) gives emphasis to his petition. 9) A world in which God pardons his hated enemies is a world in which he no longer desires to live. 10) He is consumed by his hatred and anger to such a degree that his death is preferable to witnessing God spare the Ninevites. 11) Jonah should have been rejoicing at their unprecedented turnaround. Instead he was allowing himself to be dominated by his OSN, mired in self pity. 12) The illegitimate request to God is pitiful and it must be viewed in light of what he has just stated in v. 2 about God s grace, compassion, etc. 13) His request to die is predicated on God being merciful. In the Jonah s view, killing him would be an act of great mercy. 14) In v. 4, God responds to the infuriated prophet with an incisive, rhetorical question, Is it good for you being angry? 15) The questions serves as a Divine rebuke designed to forcefully correct Jonah. 16) Of course there was no legitimate reason for Jonah to be angry at the Ninevites. The ill-tempered prophet was completely out of step with God s directive will. 2

10 17) The situation in Nineveh constituted a best case scenario. a) The populace was advised of their impending destruction. b) A major portion, from the greatest to the least, responded favorably to God s proclamation issued by Jonah. c) They repented and ceased from their evils ways (e.g. violence, idolatry). d) Based on their genuine turnaround, God spared them. 18) Considering their circumstances, they had done everything required of them by God. 19) What else could they have done? Nothing. Their deliverance demonstrated this fact. 20) Yet none of these points were relevant to Jonah. Quite simply he hated them, resented them and completely opposed the decision to spare them. He desired a singular outcome their complete annihilation. This would have pleased him immensely! 21) Those who are dominated by their OSN often think and act in an irrational manner. 22) However, we see that he didn t respond to God. 23) In view of his recent undeserved deliverance at sea, Jonah of all people, had no cause for anger. 24) Jonah s request was NOT granted. 25) Thankfully, unlike Jonah, God is not capricious or short tempered. 3

11 Vocabulary: :5 Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. 1) Then Jonah went out : wc, w, + the verb, acy, yatsa, Then he went out + the proper noun, hn"ay, Yonah, Jonah. 2) From the city : the prep.,!mi, min, from + noun w/d.a., ry[i, ir, the city. 3) Sat east of it : the verb, bvy, yashab, he sat + prep.,!mi, min, from + noun, ~d,q,, qedem, east + prep., l, + fsn w/d.a., ry[i, ir, [to] of the city. 4) He made a shelter for himself : the verb, hf[, asah, and he made + prep. w/3ms suff., l, + adv., ~v', sham, for himself there + noun, hk'su, sukkah, a shelter. 5) Sat under it in the shade : the verb, bvy, yashab, and he sat + prep. w/3fs suff., tx;t;, tachath, under it + prep., B, + noun w/d.a., lce, tsel, in the shade or shadow. 6) Until he could see : the prep., d[;, ad, until + rel. pron., rv,a], asher, that, in order that + the verb, har, raah, he could, or might see. 7) What would happen in the city : interog. pron., hm', mah, + verb, hyh, hayah, what might happen (lit: become) + prep., B, + noun w/d.a., ry[i, ir, in the city. Revised translation: the standard translation is sufficient. 1

12 :5 Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. Analysis of v. 5: 1) Jonah had just asked for God to take his life out of anguish over the preservation of Nineveh. 2) God promptly rebuked Jonah for his foolish prayer request. 3) How would he respond? Would the prophet take the Divine censure to heart, and, in humility, change his thinking? 4) Jonah went out and found a suitable vantage point east of the city. 5) At this point he constructed a shelter, probably quite crude, and sat under it in the shade. 6) Jonah had fulfilled his commission (finally) so his job was completed. Why not head back to Israel? 7) He wanted to see what would happen to Nineveh! 8) Refusing to accept Nineveh s repentance and deliverance, he continued to hope in vain for their destruction. 9) So much for changing his flawed thinking. He should have followed the example of the Ninevites and humbled himself after God s rebuke. 10) He stubbornly refused to acclimate to God s righteous treatment of his enemies. 11) Scripture does NOT exalt those who are stiff necked or stubbornly refuse to acclimate to God s plan (Deut. 9:6, 13, Neh. 9:29, Zech. 7:12, Rom. 2:5). 12) Jonah is incredibly self centered and only focuses on his OSN desires. 2

13 Vocabulary: :6 So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. 1) The Lord God appointed : the verb, hnm, manah, He appointed + proper noun, hwhy, YHWH, + noun, ~yhil{a/, Elohim, YHWH God. Translate YHWH God appointed. 2) A plant : the noun,!ayq'yqi, qiqayon, a plant. 3) Shade : noun, lce, tsel, a shade. 4) To deliver him from his discomfort : the prep., l, + Inftv cons., lcn, natsal, to deliver + prep., l, [for] him + prep.,!mi, min, + noun w/3ms suff., h['r', raah, from his discomfort. 5) Jonah was extremely happy about the plant : the verb, xmf, samach, + proper noun, hn"ay, Yonah, Jonah rejoiced + prep., l[, al, + noun w/d.a.,!ayq'yqi, qiqayon, concerning about the plant + noun, hx'm.fi, simchath, + adj., ldog", gadol, a great joy. Translate Jonah rejoiced with great joy about the plant. Revised translation: :6 So YHWH God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah rejoiced with great joy about the plant. 1

14 :6 So YHWH God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah rejoiced with great joy about the plant. Analysis of v. 6: 1) As the peevish Jonah is sitting in his shelter east of Nineveh, God personally intervened on behalf of the prophet. 2) Here, God is referred to as YHWH Elohim (God). a) Thus far in Jonah, God has been predominantly referred to as YHWH or Elohim. b) In context, the title emphasizes His role as the Creator and sovereign God over His creation (cf. Jonah 1:9; also see Gen. 2:4, 7, 19). 3) He appointed a plant to give the prophet some shade. 4) In addition to our verse, the verb appointed (hnm, manah) occurs 3x within the book of Jonah. a) Previously in 1:17, God appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. b) In the following verses, God will also appoint a worm (4:7) and a scorching wind (4:8). 5) It is important to note that God is the subject of the verb, appointed. 6) He actively used various elements in the natural realm (e.g. a plant, weather) to accomplish His desires. 7) Our verse demonstrates that He exercises complete control over His creation in order to suit His plan. In relation to His nature: a) God, as Creator of all things, possesses the absolute right to exercise sovereign rule over His creation. His sovereignty enables Him to act according to His desires (1 Chron. 29:11, Psa. 115:3, Isa. 46:10). b) His omnipotence guarantees that all of His plans will come to fruition (Job 42:2, Psa 135:6). 8) God does as He pleases for His glory and for the benefit of those who exercise positive volition toward His plan. His preservation of Nineveh is evidence of this fact (cf. Eph. 1:6, 11-12, 14). 9) In v. 6 God begins the process of teaching the stubborn Jonah a lesson. 10) He caused a plant (!Ayq'yqi, qiqayon) to miraculously grow up overnight to provide shade for Jonah (cf. 4:10). 11) Prior to the plant, Jonah had been experiencing physical discomfort (h['r', raah) due to the hot climate as he was sitting in his crude shelter. a) Our term plant (!Ayq'yqi, qiqayon) only occurs in Jonah (4:6-7, 9-10). b) The exact identification of the plant is problematic. The context doesn t specify nor is it particularly relevant to the theme book. c) Regardless of the species, its growth rate was miraculous. 2

15 12) God s purpose in appointing this plant and causing its miraculous growth is to deliver the prophet from his discomfort (h['r', raah). 13) The phrase to deliver him from his discomfort must be considered in context. a) The essential meaning of the term discomfort (h['r', raah) is evil or bad. Throughout the book of Jonah, the term occurs 8x with various connotations. i) In a physical sense, it may connote the experience of calamity, disaster or discomfort (1:7-8, 3:10, 4:2, 6). ii) The term may relate to that which is morally evil or wicked in an objective sense according to God. It is a violation of His righteous standards (1:2, 3:8, 10). iii) It may also refer to that which is morally evil or wrong in a subjective sense according to man. Ideally, human standards for evil should be based on God s standards. (1) However, as in with Jonah s attitude, there is a variance between the standards. (2) The Ninevites turned from their evil (h['r', raah) and God relented concerning the calamity or evil (h['r', raah) He had planned for them. (3) What was Jonah s response? He considered this situation a great evil or wrong (h['r', raah). (4) Clearly his standards were biased by his anger and hatred. (5) In contrast, God s gracious treatment of Nineveh was in harmony with His perfect standards. His decision to preserve them was unequivocally not a great evil or wrong. b) In consideration of the various uses of evil (h['r', raah) in Jonah, v. 6 contains different nuances. i) Indeed, God intended to deliver the prophet from his physical discomfort (h['r', raah) due to the heat. ii) However, in a larger sense, God intended to deliver Jonah from his moral evil (h['r', raah). The fact that Jonah considered God s actions as evil was in itself evil. iii) To consider the plant as merely providing for his physical wellbeing is superficial. The plant would play a major role in the lesson God would teach the prophet (4:10-11). 14) The oblivious Jonah was ecstatic about the plant. 15) Unlike the turnaround in Nineveh and God s decision to spare the city, he rejoiced with a great joy over the shade of the plant (cf. Prov. 21:15). 16) The object of his sympathies is grossly misplaced. 17) In Jonah s attitude, finally something to be happy about! 3

16 18) His joy was incredibly superficial and further draws attention to his maladjusted state. 19) Furthermore, Jonah s happiness is based on a detail of life and not on an orientation to God s plan. 4

17 Vocabulary: :7 But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered. 1) Appointed : the verb, hnm, manah, appointed. 2) A worm : the noun, [l'at, tola, worm 3) When dawn came the next day : the prep., B, + infinitive, hl[, alah, + noun w/d.a., rx;v;, shachar, when the dawn came up + prep., l, + noun w/d.a., mochorath, the following day, next day. 4) It attacked : the verb, hkn, nakah, it pierced, struck. Translate it pierced. 5) The plant : the noun w/d.a.,!ayq'yqi, qiqayon, the plant. 6) It withered : the verb, vby, yabesh, it withered. Revised translation: :7 But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day, and it pierced the plant and it withered. 1

18 :7 But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day, and it pierced the plant and it withered. Analysis of v. 7: 1) The great happiness of Jonah over his shade was to be very short-lived. 2) Happiness that is solely based on details in our ph. 2 is transitory and fleeting. 3) God appointed a worm the following day to strike the plant. 4) He intended to teach Jonah a lesson about compassion and grace. 5) As with the fish and plant, the worm was given a Divine task to accomplish. 6) The worm pierced the plant so that it withered and died. a) The lifespan of the plant was a mere day. b) At dawn, perhaps while he slept, the prophet s shelter was rapidly destroyed. c) The species of worm is unidentified. Instead, emphasis must be placed on the task of the worm. That is to kill the plant. 7) The verb withered (vby, yabesh) commonly occurs in contexts that involve Divine judgment that comes about as a consequence of sin (1 Kings 17:7 cf. Luke 4:25, also Job 18:5-16). 8) With his shady retreat in ruin, Jonah is now completely exposed to the sun. 2

19 Vocabulary: :8 And it came about when the sun came up that God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, "Death is better to me than life." 1) When the sun came up : the prep., K, + inftv cons., xrz, zarach, when it came up + csn w/d.a., vm,v,, shemesh, the sun. 2) God appointed : the verb, hnm, manah, He appointed + noun, ~yhil{a/, Elohim, God. 3) A scorching east wind : the noun, x;wr, ruach, + noun, ~ydiq', qadim, an east wind + adj., yviyrix], charishi, a scorching one. 4) Beat down : the verb, hkn, nakah, it beat down (lit: struck ). 5) He became faint : the alaph, he became faint. 6) Begged :, lav, shaal, asked, begged. 7) To die : the prep., l, + Inftv. cons., twm, muth, to die. 8) Death is better to me than life : the adj., baj, tob, + noun w/ 1cs suff., tw<m', muth, better is my death + prep.,!mi, min, + noun w/1cs suff., yx, than my life (lit: lives). Translate my death is better to me than my life. Revised translation: :8 And it came about when the sun came up that God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, "My death is better to me than my life." 1

20 :8 And it came about when the sun came up that God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, "My death is better to me than my life." Analysis of v. 8: 1) The day the plant withered and died was to be a memorable (or forgettable) day for Jonah. 2) At this point Jonah was exposed to the elements when the sun came up. 3) Once again God specially designated (i.e. appointed ) an element of nature to affect Jonah. 4) Specifically a scorching east wind. a) The wind blew with force and was incredibly hot. b) Interestingly, in other passages, an east wind is associated with God s judgment against evil (Ex. 10:13, Jer. 18:17, Hosea 13:15). 5) In addition to the hot wind, the sun beat down on Jonah's head. a) The verb, beat down (hkn, nakah) is literally to strike, hit or beat. b) The sun is depicted as being especially intense. c) It was not merely shining on the prophet; it is beating down on his head. 6) The combination of the scorching wind and hot sun removed any vestige of comfort from Jonah. 7) Due to oppressive conditions, he suffered from heat exhaustion (i.e. became faint ). 8) Although his suffering is caused by God, Jonah found himself in these circumstances due to his own attitudes and actions. 9) He consistently refused to orient his thinking to God s directive will with regard to the Ninevites. In fact, Jonah vehemently disapproved of God s handling of the whole situation. 10) He stubbornly adheres to his own human viewpoint. As a result, his suffering in our context is all deserved. 11) The prophet became increasingly disheartened about his circumstances. 12) In order to find relief from his misery, the prophet stubbornly repeats his request to die (cf. v.3). 13) He had been experiencing misery in his soul, consumed by anger over the gracious treatment of the Ninevites. Now, extreme physical misery intensified his soulish misery. 14) The verb, begged also contains the nuance of a demand. 15) Begged with all his soul to die indicates his death wish is very emphatic request. 16) Despondent, under his OSN, Jonah found the situation unbearable and preferred death. 2

21 Vocabulary: :9 Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death." 1) God said to Jonah : the verb, rma, amar, and He said + noun, ~yhil{a/, Elohim, God + prep., la,, el, + proper noun, hn"ay, Yonah, to Jonah. 2) Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant? : interog. part., h, + Inftv. abs., bjy, yatab, Is it good + the verb, hrx, charah, to be angry, to be burning with anger + prep. w/2ms suff., l, for you + prep., l[, al, + noun w/d.a.,!ayq'yqi, qiqayon, about the plant? Translate Is it good for you to be burning with anger about the plant. 3) I have good reason to be angry : the Inftv. abs., bjy, yatab, It is good + verb, hrx, charah, to be angry, to be burning with anger + prep. w/1ms suff., l, for me. Translate It is good for me to be burning with anger. 4) Even to death : the prep., d[, ad + noun, tw<m', maveth, even to death. Revised translation: :9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it good for you to be burning with anger about the plant?" And he said, "It is good for me to be burning with anger, even to death." 1

22 :9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it good for you to be burning with anger about the plant?" And he said, "It is good for me to be burning with anger, even to death." Analysis of v. 9: 1) Following Jonah s emphatic request to die, God responded directly to the prophet. 2) Reminiscent of v. 4, God responds with a pointed question, Is it good for you to be burning with anger about the plant? 3) The Ninevites are not mentioned at this point. 4) By this time, Jonah s anger had increased. Absolutely nothing was going according to his plan. 5) The plant that had brought him great happiness was now withered and dead. 6) As in v. 4, the question was a rebuke intended to reprimand Jonah. The clear implication is that Jonah had no valid grounds for anger over a mere plant. 7) This time Jonah responds to God s question. 8) He retorts angrily, It is good for me to be burning with anger, even to death." a) Jonah foolishly asserts that he does have every right to be infuriated. b) His beloved plant was very important to him. It made him extremely happy. c) Now that it is dead, he is furious and expressed his outrage. 9) The phrase even to death may be paraphrased to until the day I die. 10) V. 9 demonstrates the deceitfulness of the OSN, especially when no steps are taken to control it. 11) As Jonah should have, we must guard against self deception under the OSN, trying to legitimize that which is illegitimate (Heb. 3:13 cf. Titus 3:3). 12) Jonah erroneously believed he had a legitimate right to be outraged about a dead plant. 13) God intended to teach a lesson to Jonah about the relative importance of his beloved plant when compared to the Nineties. 2

23 Vocabulary: :10-11 Then the LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work, and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 "And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" 1) Lord : proper noun, hwhy, YHWH. Translate YHWH. 2) You had compassion : the pronoun, ht'a;, attah, + verb, swx, chus. You yourself had compassion. Translate you yourself had compassion. 3) For which you did not work : rel. pron., rv,a], + neg. part., al{, lo, + verb, lm[, amal, which you did not labor or work + prep. w/3ms suff., B, on it. 4) You did not cause to grow : neg. part., al{, lo, + verb w/3ms suff., ldg, you did not cause it to grow. 5) Came up overnight and perished overnight : rel part., v,, + noun,!be, ben, + noun, hl'y>l, leylah, + verb, hyh, hayah, which came up overnight + wcj., w, + noun,!be, ben, + msn, hl'y>l, leylah, + and overnight + verb, dba, abad, it perished. 6) And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city : wcj., w, + the pronoun, ynia], ani, + neg. part., al{, lo, + verb, swx, chus, And should I, Myself not have compassion + prep., l[;, al, + proper noun, hwen>yni, Nineveh, + noun w/d.a., ry[i, ir, + adj. w/d.a., ladg", gadol, on Nineveh the great city. Translate and should not I Myself have compassion. 7) Who do not know the difference between their right and left hand : rel. pron., rv,a], asher, which + neg. part., al{, lo, + verb, [dy, yada, do not know + prep.,!yib;, beyin, + noun w/3ms suff.,!ymiy", yamin, + the prep., l, + noun w/3ms suff., lamof., shemol, between their right (and) left side. 8) As well as many animals : wcj., W, + noun, hm'heb., behemah, + adj., br, reb, and many animals (much cattle). Revised translation: :10-11 Then YHWH said, "You, yourself had compassion on the plant for which you did not work, and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 "And should I, Myself not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" 1

24 :10-11 Then YHWH said, "You, yourself had compassion on the plant for which you did not work, and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 "And should I, Myself not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" Analysis of vv : 1) God counters Jonah s angry response with an irrefutable argument. 2) Initially He focuses on the object of the prophet s compassion, the plant. 3) Jonah had looked upon the plant with compassion and formed an emotional attachment to it. 4) His attachment was so strong that he was outraged when it died. 5) God asserts that the prophet had put absolutely no effort into the lifecycle of the plant, from beginning to end. 6) He had not planted it nor caused it to grow. Additionally, the plant had only lived for a day. 7) God contrasts Jonah s compassion for the plant with His own compassion for the inhabitants of Nineveh. 8) The verb compassion (swx, chus) is to show active concern for something or someone. 9) God asserts His right, as the Creator and sustainer of life, to show concern for His creatures, the Ninevites. 10) How could Jonah expect God to any less? It is God s creation to do with as He pleases. 11) In terms of quality, the life of a plant is completely inferior to human life. 12) Jonah would not concede this point in regard to the inhabitants of Nineveh as he was blinded by hatred and anger. In his warped thinking, the life of the plant was far more significant. 13) The expression who do not know the difference between their right and left hand is idiomatic. 14) The idiom refers to those in the Ninevite population that lacked the mental ability to discern their right from their left such as young children. 15) The 120,000 is not a reference to the entire Ninevite population but, rather the children who are not accountable. 16) Yet another reason to spare the city. How could Jonah condone the destruction of these innocent children? 17) The phrase, as well as many animals is an appeal to Jonah s practical side. 18) The cattle of Nineveh were of great value. Certainly of far greater worth than was the plant. 19) God would have every right to spare the city for the cattle in it alone. 20) Compared to cattle, a single plant is hardly of great significance. 2

25 21) Moreover, compared to many human beings, the plant is truly insignificant. 22) The book closes on this argument. 23) What are we to conclude regarding Jonah and his ministry? 24) In the N.T. Christ refers to Jonah and his ministry (Luke 11:32). a) Jonah was great but Christ and His ministry during 1 st advent was greater. b) If Jonah never changed his thinking and persisted in anger and hatred, he certainly would not be considered great, especially by Christ. c) He had to over rule his OSN. d) Eventually, Jonah acclimated to God s treatment of the Ninevites. *See Doc. of Anger. End:. 3